Refrigerating apparatus



Jan. 11, 1938. R. s. GAUGLER REFR IGERATING APPARATUS Original Filed March 28, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l Jan. 11, 1938. R s, GAUGLER 2,105,460

REFRIGERATING' APPARATUS Original Filed March 28, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. ill, 11938 ZfltEAtt @FFHQE REFREGERATHNG APPARATUS Richard S. Gaugler, Dayton, Qhio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application March 28, 1934, Serial No. 717,703 Renewed August 29, 1936 iii Claims.

This invention relates generally to refrigeration and particularly to ice freezing apparatus.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved freezing apparatus which continuously produces ice cubes or blocks after being initially rendered operative without further manipulation or attention on the part of the user. Another object of the invention is to utilize 'a force created by the buoyant effect of a predetermined ice formation on a cooling element of a freezing apparatus to automatically and intermittently render the cooling element ineffective for forming ice thereon.

A further object of the invention is to utilize the force created by the buoyant effect of a predetermined formation of ice on a cooling element of a freezing apparatus to cause move ment of the element automatically into a position to render same ineffective and to cause 2'') ice cubes or blocks to be released therefrom without materially increasing the temperature of the cooling element.

In carrying out the foregoing objects it is a further object of the invention to render the cool- 3 ing element effective automatically after ice formed thereon has been released therefrom to provide a continuous operating freezing apparatus.

A still further and more specific object of the invention is to provide a freezing apparatus with a plurality of movable cooling or freezing elements which normally assume a position to permit ice to form thereon and which after a pre-- determined amount of ice has formed thereon :15 will move automatically and independently of one another into a position to cause the ice to be liberated therefrom.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of a refrigerating system employed for refrigerating the cooling or freezing elements of my apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a top view partly in section and partly in elevation of my freezing apparatus;

50 Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional "view of the freezing apparatus taken on line 3-3 of Fig.

2 and showing ice beginning to accumulate on one of the cooling or freezing elements;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 and shows one 55' of the cooling or freezing elements of the apparatus in a position to cause ice formed thereon to be liberated therefrom;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of one of the cooling elements of the apparatus and is taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4; and 5 Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of one of a plurality of shut off devices employed in the refrigerating apparatus.

In freezing apparatuses heretofore employed for producing large quantities of ice blocks or 10 cubes, such for example as in restaurants, hotels and the like, it has been customary to freeze water in a plurality of metallic receptacles or trays similar to the process carried out in household refrigerator cabinets. The diificulties encoun 15 tered in harvesting ice from trays of household refrigerators are believed to be well known to those skilled in the art and these difiiculties are inherently present in freezing apparatuses of the type above described and employed for commercial use. The foregoing described method of freezing water into the form of blocks or cubes of ice and harvesting the same greatly impedes serving of cold drinks in such establishments as hotels, restaurants, and the like. To this end I propose a freezing apparatus for use in restaurants, hotels and the like which will continuously and automatically produce an abundance of ice cubes or blocks without the harvesting difficulties heretofore encountered in prior apparatuses.

Referring to the drawings, for the purpose of illustrating my invention, I have shown diagrammatically in Fig. 1 thereof a closed refrigerant circulating system employed to refrigerate or cool the freeing elements of my apparatus. The refrigerant circulating system may be of any conventional type and as disclosed, for illustraing the principles of my invention, the system includes a compressor I0 adapted to be operated by a motor ll operatively connected with the compressor by belt and pulley connection l2, l3, and I4. Compressor ll! upon being operated by motor H draws gaseous refrigerant from a plurality of cooling or freezing elements I5, only one of which is shown in the diagrammatic illustration, through pipe or condut IS. The gaseous refrigerant is compressed by compressor Ill and is forwarded under pressure to condenser I8 in which the compressed refrigerant is cooled in any suitable or desired manner to'liquefy the same. The condensed liquid refrigerant flows from condenser i8 into the receiver I9 where it accumulates or is stored. prior to being circulated to one of the freezing elements I5. A pipe or conduit 2| leads from the receiver l9 to the branch con- 5 duits connected with a plurality of the ele ments it. Each branch conduit 23 has a re= strictor, expansion device or valve iii-inserted therein for controlling the flow of liduid" reinlg= erant to the elements to. The expansiondevices or valves 22 may be of any conventional iorm and are preferably, in the present illustration, of the type which is caused to be opened in response to a reduction of pressure in elements it. it is to be understood that one valve 22 is interposed in each branch pipe 23 leading to each oi the ele= ments to employed in the apparatus for'independently controlling the flow of refrigerant to each independent element it. It is to be fur= ther understood that a plurality of branch conduits it, connected with conduit iii, leads from each element 05 and each oi these conduits ll have a shut off device 25 inserted therein. the devices 25 control the how ofevaporated or vaporized refrigerant from the freesing cle ments it and are operated in a manner to be hereinafter more fully described. A control switch 271 preferably of'the snap acting type, includes electrical contacts Eli and inserted in the power line leading to motor 0 i. The switch 21? is actuated in response to movement of a bellows 35 connected by pipe 32 to the gaseous refrigerant or low pressure conduit it. As pres= sures vary between predetermined limits in con= duit it the bellows Eli will expand or contract and will consequently actuate the switch 2t to make or break the electrical circuit to motor ii.

The freezing apparatus to which the refrigerating system is connected and which apparatus houses any desired number of the cooling or freezing elements it, includes insulated Walls forming a cabinet ill having-a compartment or container 33 therein. A door 39 located in the top of cabinet 37? provides access to the compartment 3b. The compartment 38 is adapted to contain a body of water the level oi which is maintained substantially constant by a float valve device iii of any suitable or conventional structure. The float valve device ll includes the usual needle valve or the like which controls the flow of water through an inlet pipe 412. An overflow pipe it may be provided for the container or tank 38. A manually actuated valve l i is disposed at any suitable location eirteriorily oi cabinet dl and has a pipe connection opening into the bottom of the tank or container 38 (see Figs. 3 and i) draining the liquid contents of the tank in order to permit cleaning of the tank when desired. v

Each of the plurality of cooling or freezing elements it of the apparatus includes a pair of double-walled members bi each comprising sheet metal plates lit and E3 (see'Flg. 5). The sheet metal plates 52 and till are fashioned or corrugated as at tit and have their contiguous portions secured together to pre ude a refrigerant expansion chamber or passages therebetween. The pair of double-walled members at or each of the plurality of freezing elements it are welded or otherwise suitably secured to opposite sides of a portion of an arm or member till pivotally mounted on a shaft The shaft to is carried in any suitable manner by the walls 86 of the insulated cabinet ill. The end carrying the members oi of each of the arms or members 5t is provided with passages 5b of a suitable size and design to 'register with and connect the re-. frigerant expansion chambers or passages 5b in each double-walled member iii together. A pair or fins iii are secured to opposite sides of and connect with the shut ofi device 25.

@fllQbAdil disposed at right angles to the members Ell- A balance weight 62 is formed on or secured to one end of the arms or members The ends of the arms 5? and the members 5i secured there= to are of such weight as to slightly overbalance the ends of arms 5i thereby causing the arms bland members 5!! to normally assume a tilted position such as is shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. Flexible refrigerant inlet conduits or pipes .230: amend from the restrictors or expansion valves 22 and connect with the refrigerant passage 553 provided in the one end of arms ll for directing refrigerant through the expansion pas sages or chambers 55 in the freezing member i5. Similar flexible conduits ila extend from the re frigerant passage provided in arms 5? and The closed refrigerant circuit from the refrigerant liqueiying and condensing unit through the apparatus is thus completed as above described.

The shut ofi devices 25 employed in the apps. ratus may be of any suitable form and cone struction and are herein disclosed, in Fig. 6-02 the drawings for purpose of illustration, ln= eluding a sealed casing bi. Casing ti has a partition 62 provided therein which divides the interior of the casing into two compartments. The partition 52 is provided with an opening 63 for permitting communication between the compartments formed by partition 62 in casing iii. A valve 66 has a spring 55 normally tending to close same against the walls of opening A stem 66 formed on valve it extends through opening 63 and is connected with a shaft t l, extending outwardly of the casing (t i, by a flange t8. A bellows 69 has its one end secured in any suitable manner to flange 68 and has its other end soldered or otherwise secured to the inner ill wall of the casing ti surrounding the point of protrusion of shaft 6? from casing iii. The beilows cs seals the casing against leakage and permits movement of valve to relative to its seat or opening it The upper compartment in cas= ing it communicates with the flexible reiriger= ant pipe or conduit ilc while the lower compartment of casing ti communicates with the refrigerant pipe ll. Operation of the shut ed device or devices will be hereinafter more fully described in connection with the operation of the apparatus.

The shut ofi devices 25 are supported in any suitable fashion upon brackets "ii (see Figs. 2, 3, and c) secured to walls so of cabinet 3?. Each device 25 is positioned directly above and cooperates with one of the arms bl so that the stem ill of device 25 is adapted to be engaged and moved by the weighted end portion d2 of arms 5?. A plurality of brackets 12 secured to a wall 36 of cabinet til serve as stops for the downward movement of arms 5'17. Another bracket it serves as a mounting for the restrictors or expansion valves 22. A screen iii, carried by brackets it mounted on the inner surface of walls to of the apparatus, depends to a point adjacent arms 57] and serves to direct ice blocks, to be presently described, toward the front of cabinet til.

Assuming now that the apparatus is to be put into operation and the freezing elements thereof are in their normal position shown in Fig. 3. Water from any suitable source of supfrigerant liquefying and condensing unit is then put into operation by closing the electric circuit leading to the control switch 21 and motor Refrigerant in the pipe lines "5 and 32 of the refrigerating system will be at a relatively higher pressure than during operation of the system thus causing expansion of bellows 3| to maintain'the electric contacts 28 and 29 closed for completing the circuit to motor Operation of motor and consequently compressor Ill causes refrigerant to be drawn from the elements |5 since all elements |5 are at this time in the position shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings with the arms 51 thereof engaging and forcing stems 61 of. shut off devices 25in an upward position to maintain valves 64' open. The open position of valves 64 permits communication of the refrigerant expansion passages 55, formed in the double-walled members 5|, with the suction line It of the refrigerating system. The compressor ll) therefore reduces the pressure or tends to create a vacuum in the low pressure side of the refrigerating system and builds up pressure in the high pressure side thereof. -Eitherthe low pressure in the refrigerant expansion chamber 55 of the elements |5 or the high pressure created by the compressor in back of the restrictors or expansion valves 22 causes liquid refrigerant to be expanded through the restrictors or valves 22 into the refrigerant expansion chambers 55. Refrigerant'upon, expanding and vaporizing. in the chamber or passage 55 produces a refrigerating or cooling effect of the double-walled member 5| of elements l5 and causes water within the container or tank 38 to freeze on the outer surfaces of the members 5| in the form of ice, indicated by the number 15. This refrigerating effect may be and is preferably confined to the end portions of members 5| or |5 beyond the fins 6| in any suitable manner so as to prevent frosting or ice formation on other parts of the. apparatus such as by insulating or coating with sition such as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. It is apparent that this movement of any of thearms 51 away from the shaft. or stem 61 of shut off device'25 and into abutting relation with the stops 12 causes the spring 65 in casing 6| of the device 25 to close the valve 64 thus cutting off communication of refrigerant expansion chamber or passage 55 in the freezing element l5, moved under the force created by buoyancy of ice formed thereon. The refrigerating effect of freezing element l5, moved in the manner described, is caused to cease since no evaporated or vaporized refrigerant can be withdrawn therefrom and this element therefore begins to in-' crease in temperature. The fins SI and the sheet metal members 52 of the double-walled structure 5| are constructed so as to be greater in' size than the blocks of ice to be formed and therefore the portions of these elements extend outwardly from the formation of ice 18 thereon into the body of water in tank'38. The flns 6| and 52 are constructed so as to have a sufflcient The ice 18 conportion thereof directly exposed to or in contact with the water in container 38 to cause heat absorbed from the water to break the bond between the ice and the cooling or freezing elements l5 or 5|. Thus the fins 6| and sheet metal members 52 of the double-walled structure 5| effectively conduct heat from the water to thaw the ice and to cause the ice to be released from the freezing elements l5. The. ice blocks 18 thus released from element- |6 rises, due to their buoyancy, to the top of the body of water in container 38. These blocks of ice 18 may then be taken or harvested from the apparatus or cabinet 31 upon opening the access door 39.

Screen 15 prevents the ice blocks 18 from travel-v ing to the rear portion of the cabinet 31 thus preventing same from interfering with operation or movement of other parts of the apparatus. After the ice 18 has been liberated from one of the freezing elements l5 in the manner described, the buoyant effect of that element is destroyed and it will move about its pivot automatically into the position shown in Fig. 3. This movement of any of the elements l5 causes the arm 51 thereof to strike and force open valve 64 in the shut off device 25. Thus the refrigerating effect or freezing operation of element I5 is restored to again -complete the freezing cycle above described.

The freezing elements |5 of the apparatus may or may not be moved simultaneously by the force created by the buoyancy of the ice formation. In operation of theapparatus disclosed, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art -that, the freezing elements l5 will vary somewhatin the refrigerating effect produced thereby and movement of the elements I5 will therefore ordinarily occur in succession rather than simultaneous. However in either event the control switch 21 of the refrigerating system will cause the refrigerant liquefying and condensing unit to stop operating when the pressure of the refrigerant in the low pressure side of the system has been reduced to a predetermined degree. For example, the control switch 28 will always maintain the electric circuit to motor closed release of ice blocks therefrom. My improved continuous freezing apparatus permits certain freezing elements to increase in temperature tocause ice to be released therefrom while at the same time causing a continued refrigerating effeet in certain other freezing elements to cause ice to form thereon. My improved continuous freezing apparatus is automatic in operation for producing ice blocks or cubes and needs no attention on the part of the-user after being initially rendered operative. This insures the production of an abundance of ice cubes or blocks by the apparatus which can be readily harvested without the diiliculties ordinarily encountered in freezing apparatuses heretofore employed. v

While the form of embodiment of the inveneffect of a certain freezing element to permit tion as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred 75 form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow. I

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A continuous freezing apparatus for producing ice blocks including, a container for holding a body of water, a plurality of cooling elements disposed in said body of water, means for refrigerating said plurality of cooling elements to a temperature to cause ice to form thereon, and means for stopping the refrigerating effect of one of said plurality of cooling elements independently of and while the refrigerating efi'ect of other of said plurality of cooling elements continues, said last named means being operable automatically in response to a force created by the buoyancy of ice formed on said one of said cooling elements. I

2. A continuous freezing apparatus for producing ice blocks including, a container for holding a body of water, a plurality of cooling elements disposed in said body of water and movably mounted independent of one another, means for refrigerating said plurality of cooling elements to a temperature to cause ice to form thereon, said cooling elements being movable automatically in response to a force created by the buoyancy of ice formed thereon, and means actuated by the movement of any one of said plurality of cooling elements for stopping the refrigerating effect thereof, said last named means operating independently of and while the refrigerating effect of the other of said plurality of cooling elements continues.

3. A continuous freezing apparatus for producing ice blocks including, a container for holding a body of water, a plurality of cooling elements movably mounted in said body of water, means for directing a refrigerant through said cooling elements to cool same to a temperature to cause ice to form thereon, said cooling elements being movable automatically in response to a force created by the buoyancy of ice formed thereon, a plurality of valves cooperating with said plurality of cooling elements, and either of said plurality of valves being actuated by the movement of its cooperating cooling element for controlling the circulation of refrigerant therethrough, and said either of said plurality of valves operating independently of other, of said plurality of valves to cause the refrigerating effect in the cooling elements cooperating with the said other of said plurality of valves to continue.

4;. In the art of making and harvesting ice .by producing a freezing action in a plurality of cooling elements submerged in a body of water, that step which comprises utilizing a force created by the buoyant effect of ice formed on one of the plurality of cooling elements for stopping the freezing action therein independently of and while the freezing action continues in other of said plurality of cooling elements.

5. In the art of making and harvesting ice by producing a freezing action in a plurality of cooling elements submerged in a body of water, that step which comprises utilizing a force created by the buoyant eifect of ice formed on one of the plurality of cooling elements for causing movement thereof and stopping of the freezing action therein independently of and while the freezing action continues in other of said plurality of cooling elements.

6. A freezing apparatus for making and harvesting ice blocks'including a plurality of cooling elements disposed in a body of Water, means for producing a freezing action in said plurality of cooling elements, and means for temporarily interrupting the freezing action in one of said pluralityof cooling elements while the freezing action being produced in other of said elements continues, said last named means being operable automatically in response toa force created by the buoyant efiect of ice formed on said one of said cooling elements.

7. In the art of making and harvesting ice by producing a freezing action in a plurality of cooling elements submerged in water, that step which comprises utilizing the amount of ice formed by one of a plurality of cooling elements for stopping the freezing action thereof independently of and While the freezing action of another of said plurality of cooling elements continues.

8. A freezing apparatus for making and harvesting. ice blocks including a plurality of cooling elements submerged in water, means for causing said plurality of cooling elements to produce a freezing action, and means for temporarily interrupting the freezing action produced by one of said plurality of cooling elements while the freezing action being produced by another of said elements continues, said last named means being normally ineffective and rendered effective automatically in response to the amount of ice formed by said one of said cooling elements.

9. A freezing apparatus for making and har vesting ice blocks including a plurality of'cooling elements submerged in water, conduit means for circulating a refrigerating medium through said cooling elements to cause same to produce a freezing action, a valve interposed in said conduit means for stopping the flow of refrigerating medium through one of said plurality of'cooling elements while the freezing action being produced by another of said elements continues, and said valve being normally ineffective and rendered effective automatically in response to the amount of ice formed by said one of said cooling elements.

10. A refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a plurality of cooling elements, at least one of said cooling elements being submerged in water and adapted to have ice blocks formed thereon, means operable for circulating a cooling medium through said plurality of cooling elements to cause same to produce a refrigerating effect, means for interrupting the refrigerating effect produced by said one of said plurality of cooling elements without interrupting operation of said cooling medium circulating means to thereby permit continuance of the refrigerating effect produced by another of said elements and to cause ice blocks to be released from said one cooling element, and said interrupting means being normally ineffective and rendered effective automatically in response to the amount of ice formed by said one of said cooling elements.

RICHARD S. GAUGLER. 

